Bottle carrier



June 1, 19 3- c.. H. KRUEA ETAL BOTTLE CARRIER Filed June 18, 1940 4 SheetsSheet l June 1,1943. H; KRUEA TAL 2,320,440

BOTTLE CARRIER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 18, 1940 1N VENTORS M WM ATTORNEY;

June 1, 1943- c. H. KRUEA EI'AL BOTTLE CARRIER Filed June 18 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 3' j INVENTORX 4/412! z WM ATTORNEYS June 1, 1943. c, KRUEA ETAL- BOTTLE CARRIER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 18, 1940 INVENTORJ ATTORNEYJ Patented June 1, 1943- Charles .H.

Kruea and Dorella H. Kruea. Fort Thomas, Ky.

Application June 18, 1940, Serial No. 341,177

Claims.

This invention ,relates to paperboard carriers which are adapted to be used for carrying bottles, for instance, for transporting bottles of pop purchased at a store. It is intended that the carriers be made, inexpensively, of paperboard or the like, in order that they may be thrown away after they have served'their purpose. It is also intended, however, that the paperboard which is .utilized be sufllciently strong to support the bottles, whether one or a number of them are being carried.

The primary object of the invention has been to provide a simple device of this kind which is more suitable than those which heretofore have been proposed, as well as less expensive. A further object has been to provide such a carrier capable of receiving one or a plurality of bottles,

for instance, half a dozen.

Briefly, the carrier of the invention is made up I of a foldableblank. This preferably is formed of paperboard though, in some instances, sheet metal portions maybe used. Sections of this blank are adapted to be folded together to form a handle; and 'sections extending laterally from "the handle-forming flaps constitute a rack from which the necks of the bottles are suspended. The rack portion or portions of the carrier are disposed at opposite sides of the handle and the necks of the bottles fit within apertures provided in the lateral extensions. bottles depend from the rack and are supported by their bulbous heads.

Cooperating with the apertures in the racks is a slidable keeper; thi member functions as a lock which, during the normal usage of the device, prevents the heads of the bottles from escapin'g through the apertures. The keeper in the preferred embodiment, is movable to constrict the area of each aperture to a size approximating that of the neck of the bottle only and is also movable to another position; as during loading or unloading of the device, in which the full area of each aperture is unrestricted. The keeper, like the racks, is made of paperboard,;or other suitable material. Y

The rack portions, in the preferred structure, are constituted by overfolded flaps of paper which, in turn, have endwise portions bent up-' wardly to form the handle while the keeper is slidable within the folds of the rack intermediatethe rows of apertures therein. When the device is loaded with bottles, the weight of them resting against the upper folds of the racks prevents unfolding of the carrier. v

The carriers of the invention are adapted par- In other words, the.

thus forming a platform for supporting the bottoms of the bottles of another unit. 1

Various modifications of the general principles upon which the invention is predicated and further advantages of the construction are described in the specification which follows, and in the drawings. Various other modifications to which the invention is susceptible will be understood by those skilled in the art, from the foregoing description of the principles of the structure and the detailed description of preferred embodiments which the drawings illustrate.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the device assembled, equipped with bottles and ready for use.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the keeper.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the unfolded blank Figure 6, showing the relationship of the bottle v necks and heads to the rack apertures.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8, showing the keeper in the open position.

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figures 8 and 9, but illustrates the keeper in the closed position;

The two illustrations bracketedin Figure 11 are plan views of the keeper and rack blanks of a carrier of the type illustrated generally in Figure 6.

Figure 12 is a plan view of the handle blank for a carrier of the type shown in Figure 6.

Figure 13 illustrates another type of carrier adapted for carrying single bottles, for instance, half-gallon beer jugs.

Figure 14 isa view illustrating the manner in which a pair of jugs are carried by units of the type shown in Figure 13.

Figure is a plan view showing the relationship of the bottle neck to the keeper.

Figure 16 is a view similar to Figure 15, showing the keeper in closed position.

Figure 1'1 is a view of the blank from which the carrier shown in Figure 13 is assembled.

Figure 18 is a plan view of the keeper. Figure 19 is an illustration of a blank adapted for carrying a series of bottles in a row.

' Figure 20 is a view showing the keeper for this modification.

Figure 21 is a plan view showing the loading tinuous, but the flaps which they outline are bendable outwardly along score lines 8-4. Through this arrangement the flaps are free to be folded backwardly and reside adjacent the surfaces of the handle fiaps so as to give a greater handle area and thus prevent the hands from being cut or chafed. In Figure 1, the portion In within the score line is shown being bent away from the fiberboard surrounding the hand hold aperture.

The central body portion of the blank is of somewhat greater width than the handle portions 2-2 at either end of it and the body section contains cooperating rows of apertures 1-] adjacent one handle flap, and H adjacent the other. These are spaced substantially equal distances on opposite sides of central dividing lines. The increase in width from the handle flaps to the body portion is gradual along the lines 9, and notches I! are cut in the side edges of the blank for the purpose (when the members are in folded assembly) of providing access to the keeper H which is positioned intermediate the adjacent innermost rows of apertures I and t.

Score lines I! and I! extend across the blank intermediate the rows of apertures 1-1 and 8-8 respectively. Thus, with the handle flaps bent back the sections designated it are foldable over the central portion of the body designated l5 and, by this folding, the handle flaps are brought adjacent one another to extend laterally from the central part of the body section which forms the racks for the bottles.

Keeper II of the structure is suillciently wide. when positioned intermediate the innermost rows of apertures 1 and I. to extend across the apertures. and thereby to restrict the open area of them. But the keeper also is provided with notches It which complement the aperture conment with the neck holes, prevent the keeper from restricting their area. The notches ii are assasso other'e'nd of it resides at a point midway ofthe respective endwise notches cooperating with the outermost apertures at the far edge of the blank.

The rack apertures may be circular openings, or better still, of bottle neck width at one side and of bottle head or cap width at the other; in other words, of generally circular butkeyhole-iikeure 1 with the keeper in locking position, that is.

with the edges of the keeper restricting the apertures. Under such conditions the bottle necks reside within the narrower parts of the apertures and the keeper is of such width, relative to the spacing apart of the rows of apertures, that it is capable of holding them there when in locking position. Therefore, the bottles are supported by their heads when the keeper is operated.

For convenience in using the carrier the staples it may be inserted through the adjacent handle flaps to hold them together permanently. Bottle carriers of this general type made of paperboard of relatively substantial weight or with keepers of sheet metal may be used over and over again, particularly when fastened with staples.

By folding the handle flaps 2 downwardly as shown in Figure 5. so that the flaps rest upon the surfaces of the bottle caps, a platform is provided to hold another assembly of bottles.

The movement of the keeper may be limited and prevented from being withdrawn from the assembly if it is desired to use the carrier for a number of trips. As shown in Figure 4 the keeper may be slotted longitudinally as at II. and a rivet passed through the slot and bent over the lower face of the body section IS. The rivet, in this construction. prevents the keeper from being moved beyond the confines of the slot.

A modified form of carrier illustrated in Figure 6 is generally the same as the structure which has been described, but, in this modification, the rack portion ofthe device is separable from the handle. As shown in Figure 11, the rack portion comprises a blank containing rows of apertures I and l at one side of a medial line 20, and corresponding rows of apertures I and I at the other side of the medial line. The blank is foldable along the line It so as to bring the respective rows of apertures I and l in alignment and adhesive 2| is provided for fastening together the folded layers of material. The keeper 2! for this unit is substantially the same in structure and purpose as the keeper previously described. and operates slidably within the folds of the blank as best shown in Figure 6. However, the'rack assembly of this modified form of apparatus is carried within a foldable satchel shown in Figure 12. The latter is of elongated form and comprises a body section 28 with a longitudinal slot 24 cutin it for clearance of the central apertures of the rows land I. for instance, as shown by the dotted line in Figure 6. Endwise portions are foldable from the body portion 28 along the lines 25 and 28 and handle forming extensions fl and 28 (which are somewhat wider than the body portion 28) are foldable along the lines 2| and 80. The handle portions are provided with hand hold apertures as previously described and with score lines Ii and 32 adapted to be arranged by folding for the formation of a handle for the satchel unit.

14-44 constitutes side members 33 (Figure v7) for extending the handle flaps 21 and 28 above the base 23 of the satchel, a distance approximating that of the height of the head of a bottle, in order that the handle portions may overlap one another and still form a table over the bottle caps.

The general purpose of the irregular or keyhole-like configuration of the rack apertures is illustrated in Figures 8, 9 and 10. Thus, in Figure 8, capped bottles which are about to be inserted through the apertures are indicated at 34 and the relative diameters of the necks of these bottles are indicated in cross section at 34a. The

narrowest dimension across any part of the aperture is sui'ficiently great, when the keeper is in the open position, to permit the cap to pass through the aperture.

Likewise, with the keeper in open position and the notches in the edges of it aligned with the apertures, the heads of the bottles still may pass therethrough as shown in Figure 9. When the keeper is moved 'to closed position the notches first abut the bottle necks and, in a cam-like action, urge them out of the path of the keeper and back into the portions of the apertures which are of reduced dimension, as shown in Figure 10.

Now, the bulbous heads of the bottles are too large to pass through the apertures and they are therefore locked firmly in position with the weight of them supported by the rack. Since the keeper resides at least one layer of paperboard below the rack, it is not subjectedto the bottle weight, and consequently is in no serious danger 'of being torn or damaged to such an extent that the bottle might fall from the carrier.

The blank from which a single bottle carrier, or jug carrier, is assembled is shown bat in Figure 17 and it comprises a handle portion 35 having a handle aperture cut and folded, as previously described, and indicated at 36.

The rack for the carrier is comprised of adjoining members 31 and 38 which are foidable in overlapping relationship along a line 39. A rack slot extends across these members laterally to the fold line 39 and this slot constitutes a notch I within which the bottle neck is received when the flaps 31- and 38 are in the overfolded position. The width of the slot 40 approximates the diameter' of the neck of a bottle and the total length of the slot is such that when the flaps 31 are folded together its greatest depth from the fold edge approximates the diameter of a bottle neck.

Sections 31 and 38 may be held in folded position by adhesive 4| by staples or other appropriate means, and at the fold edge a keeper 42 is slidably inserted. This keeper extends as a latch across the slot aperture so that when the neck of a bottle is inserted within the aperture and the keeper moved to closed position, as shown in Figures ligand 16, the weight of the bottle is carried upon the bulbous head which is supported against the surface of the upper part of the rack member.

The rack adjoins the 'handle portion 35 along fold line 43. When not in use the device is of substantially flat formation and a number of them can be stacked upon one another. The

' devices of the type shown in Figure 13 maybe used in oppositely posed pairs as shown in Figure 14. In such cases the bodies of the jugs rest against one another'so as tomaintain separation of the handle portions, that is, necks are prevented from being brought together by the weight of the contents of the lugs. I

The unit shown in Figure 19 is made of a single paperboard blank but the paperboard is folded for reenforcement so that a series of bottles in a single row can be supported. The blank is of rectangular outline and is comprised of portions I 44, 45 and 46 which adjoin one another along score lines. A handle flap 41 adjoins the portion 48 along a score line 48 and includes a hand hole aperture 49 as previously described. I

Communicating apertures 50 are disposed upon opposite sides of the score line Si in the adjoining portions 44 and 45. When the flap 44 is overfolded on the flap 45 the portions of the apertures on the opposite sides of the score line fall into alignment and enable this double, thickness flap now to be overfolded upon the portion 43 along the score line 52. The portion 46 also contains apertures 53. These are of the type previously described in connection with the other modifications and they are portioned so as to be aligned portions of the aperture are dimensioned to receive the necks of the bottles but not the heads. Therefore, when the flaps 44, 45 and 48 are overfolded, as shown in Figure 21,-the bottle heads may be passed through 'the apertures and then moved backwardly in the recesses so that the heads prevent the bottles from being withdrawn.

Keeper is disposed to lock the bottles in position and resides intermediate the flaps 44 and 45 along the score line ii as shown in Figure 22.

The handle flap 41 extends upwardly from the portion 48 in the normal usage of the device and terminates in an overfold portion 56 which forms a grip cooperating with the hand holeaperture 49. The flap 51 of the hand hole aperture is folded back along the portion 58 for reenforce- -ment of the-grip.

ed by openings in alignment in the double thickness on either side of said handheld portion, and paperboard means positioned between the folds of the base and slidable lengthwise thereof for limiting the size of the bottle-neck apertures.

2. ,A bottle carrier formed from a single sheet "of paperboard or the like folded to provide a horizontal base of double thickness and a'handhold portion upstanding therefrom, the base having a plurality of bottle-neck openings constituted by apertures in alignment in the double thickness and a member positioned between the folds of the base and slidable lengthwise thereof for simultaneously limiting the size of all of the bottle neck apertures.

In this case advertising matter can 3. A bottle carrier, comprising a paperboard blankv having a central section having apertures in spaced rows and adapted to receive the heads of bottles, and endwise portions folded over the central portion and then upwardly to provide cooperating handle members the areas of said endwise portions which overlie the central portion having apertures therein which are in alignment a with the apertures in the central portion and a keeper siidably located intermediate the central portion and the said apertured areas of said endwise portions which overlie the central portion, the keeper being sufllciently wide relative to the spacing of the rows of aligned apertures to operate against the necks of the bottles and holdthem within the apertures so that the bottles are supported from their bulbous heads when the carrier is lifted.

, 4. A bottle carrier, comprising a paperboard body portion constituted by overfolded layers having pairs of openings therein, in registry, and adapted to receive the necks of the bottles, a paperboard handle folded from said body portion, and means siidably mounted intermediate the overfolded layers of said body, the said means being adapted to engage the neck below the bulbous portion thereof for wedging the bottle in position against axial displacement.

5. A bottle carrier, comprising a pair of paper-'- board members which are marginally interconnected, a plurality of apertures extending through the paperboard members, each aperture comprising a portion adapted to permit the passage of the bulbous head of a bottle and a restricted portion in communication therewith adapted to receive the neck of a bottle but not the bulbous head, and wedging means slidably mounted intermediate said members for forcing the bottle necks into the restricted portions of the apertures so that they are supported from the bulbous heads when the carrier is lifted.

6. A bottle carrier, comprisinga paperboard blank comprising a central section and endwise portions which are foldable 'over the central portion and also foldable to extend centrally therefrom and provide conjointly a handhold for the carrier, the central portion and the endwise portions which overlap it being provided with rows of apertures located on either side of the handheld for the reception of the heads of bottles and communicating with apertures of restricted size for the reception of the necks of bottles but not the bulbous heads thereof, and keeper means slidably mounted within the overfolded portions and intermediate the rows of apertures for wedging the necks of bottles into the restricted apertures, whereby the bottles are suspended from their bulbous heads when the carrier is lifted.

7. A bottle carrier, comprising a paperboard blank comprising a central section and endwise portions which are. foldable over the central portion and also foldable to extend centrally therefrom and provide conjointly a handhold for the carrienthe central portion and the endwise portions which overlap it being provided with rows of apertures located on either side of the handhold for the reception of the heads of bottles and communicating with apertures of restricted size for the reception of the necks of bottles but not the bulbous heads thereof, and keeper means slidablymounted within the overfolded portlom and intermediate the rows of apertures for wedging the necks of bottles into the restricted apertures, whereby the bottles are suspended from their bulbous heads when the carrier is lifted, the keeper being sufllciently wide so'that its edges normally extend across portions of the apertures and said keeper being provided with notches in its edges which are registrable with the apertures,

so that the apertures are cleared upon sliding movement of the keeper.

8. A bottle carrier, comprising a paperboard blank having endwise portions adapted to be folded to overlie a body portion therebetween and to extend centrally from the body portion and provide a handhold forthe carrier, the body portion and the portions overlaying it having apertures therethrough in registry on opposite sides of the handhold, and keeper means slidably located intermediate the body portion and the overlaying portions, the keeper means providing edges for exertinga wedging action against the necks of the bottles located within the apertures, whereby the bottles are suspended from their bulbous heads when the carrier is lifted.

9. A bottle carrier, comprising a paperboard blank cut and scored to provide a, central portion having endwise flaps foldable thereover, the endwise flaps also being foldable upwardly and away from the body portion to provide handholds, the central portion and the folded paperboard adjacent to it when the carrier is assembled being provided with apertures in alignment in which,

bottle necks are adapted to be racked, and-slidable means located intermediate the said central portion and flaps folded over it, for wedging the bottle necks in the racks, whereby they are supported by the double layers at the central portion of the carrier from their bulbous heads when the carrier is lifted.

10. A bottle carrier formed from a single sheet of paperboard or the like folded to provide a horizontal base of double thickness anda hand hold portion extending therefrom, the base having a bottle-neck opening constituted by apertures in alignment in the double thickness and a member positioned between the folds ofthe base and slidable lengthwise thereof for limiting the size of the bottle-neck aperture.

CHARLES H. DORELLA H. KRUEA- 

